Bowel movement-improving food products

ABSTRACT

Bowel movement-improving food products incorporating dietary fibers in total amount of 10 to 50% by weight based on the whole products, said dietary fibers comprising hardly water-soluble dietary fibers and readily water-soluble dietary fibers at a ratio of 1:2-30 parts by weight and 10% by weight or more of the former being hemicellulose. The food products of the invention are useful for preventing and treating constipation of both proctosenous and colonic types.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to bowel movement-improving food products.More particularly, it is concerned with bowel movement-improving foodproducts comprising hardly water-soluble dietary fibers and readilywater-soluble dietary fibers at a specific ratio.

The food products of the invention are useful for preventing andtreating constipation of both proctosenous and colonic types.

BACKGROUND ART

In recent years a variety of food products in which dietary fiberseffective for improving bowel movements and preventing adult diseasesare incorporated are available on the market. The dietary fibersincorporated in such food products are mainly composed of hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers. Hardly water-soluble dietary fibers mostlypass through the digestive tracts without being digested and absorbed,inducing increased amount of stools, so that the rectum is physicallystimulated to increase a desire to defecate and the stools are softenedto improve bowel movement. They are therefore effective in proctosenousconstipation.

Constipation, however, is frequently of mixed type of proctosenous andcolonic ones. For the colonic type of constipation (atonic) with reducedperistalsis, readily water-soluble fibers are more effective, becausethey are hydrolyzed in the lower digestive tracts by intestinalmicroorganisms and the hydrolysis products, organic acids, activateperistalsis of digestive tracts thereby accelerating defecation althoughthey are not hydrolyzed by human digestive enzymes.

Therefore, it is desirable to take both of the hardly water-solubledietary fibers and the readily water-soluble dietary fibers foreffectively preventing or curing constipation.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open-to-Public No. 262572/1985discloses food products comprising hardly water-soluble dietary fiberscoated with readily water-soluble dietary fibers. However, because oflow contents of the readily water-soluble fibers in such food products,they are not effective in colonic constipation.

Approximately two third of the fecal amount is water and the watercontent is especially dependent upon undigested food, especially thecontent of dietary fibers. Therefore, ingestion of the hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers of high water-retention more effectivelyincreases the amount and water content of stools.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention, there are provided bowelmovement-improving food products as set forth below.

1) A bowel movement-improving food product containing 10-50% by weightof dietary fibers based upon the whole product wherein said dietaryfibers comprises hardly water-soluble dietary fibers and readilywater-soluble dietary fibers, 2-30 parts by weight of the readilywater-soluble dietary fibers are contained per part by weight of thehardly water-soluble dietary fibers and 10% by weight or more of thehardly water-soluble dietary fibers is hemicellulose.

2) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe hemicellulose is a dietary fiber obtained from corn, cabbage orcarrot.

3) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe readily water-soluble dietary fibers are polysaccharide capable ofbeing hydrolyzed by human intestinal microorganisms.

4) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 3 whereinthe polysaccharide is a combination of one or more members selected fromthe group consisting of polydextrose, pullulan and gum arabic and one ormore members selected from the group consisting of pectin, guar gum,sodium alginate, carrageenan, glucomannan, Locust bean gum, tamarind gumand gum tragacanth.

5) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe product is in flake form.

6) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe product is in stew form.

7) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe product is in rice gruel form.

8) A bowel movement-improving food product according to item 1 whereinthe product is in wafer form.

9) A method for improving bowel movement which comprises administeringto patients a bowel movement-improving food product at a daily dose of5-25 g in adults in terms of the total amount of dietary fibers.

"Dietary fibers" as herein referred to mean the macromolecular compoundsin food which are not digested with human digestive enzymes, includingboth vegetable and animal fibers.

Content of the dietary fibers is in the range of 10 to 50% by weightbased on the total product. The content below 10% by weight cannotexpect the bowel movement-improving effect, and the content beyond 50%by weight makes texture so poor that the product is not suitable asfood.

Among the dietary fibers, those which are hardly soluble in water mostlypass through the digestive tracts without being digested and absorbed,inducing increased amount of stools, so that the rectum is physicallystimulated to increase a desire to defacate and the stools are softenedto improve bowel movement. They are therefore effective in proctosenousconstipation. Cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose and the like are dietaryfibers of such type.

Usually, about two third of the fecal amount is water and the watercontent is especially dependent upon undigested food, especially thecontent of dietary fibers. Thus, ingestion of the hardly water-solubledietary fibers of high water-retention more effectively increase theamount and water content of stools.

From the viewpoint of water retentivity, hardly water-soluble dietaryfibers entirely composed of cellulose are less desirable than thosewhich contain 10% by weight or more of hemicellulose. Hemicellulose is apolysaccharide constructing the cell walls of land plants other thancellulose and pectinic substances. The dietary fibers hardly soluble inwater and containing 10% by weight or more of hemicellulose have a largenumber of side chains, are amorphous and, as observed under electronicmicroscope, have a porous structure containing a large number ofperforations and wall openings. They are distinguished from celluloseand are known to exert a higher water retentivity. In addition,hemicellulose has an activity of inhibiting absorption of cholesterolinto the body due to its adsorption of the cholesterol in digested food.

The hardly water-soluble dietary fibers employed in the presentinvention should contain 10% by weight or more, preferably 20% by weightor more of hemicellulose rather than being composed of pure cellulose.Dietary fibers of, for example, corn, cabbage, carrot or the like whichcontain 20% by weight or more of hemicellulose are especiallypreferable.

If hemicellulose content in the hardly water-soluble dietary fibers isbelow 10% by weight, water retentivity of stools will be weaker andincrease in the amount of stools will not be sufficient.

As described above, readily water-soluble dietary fibers are nothydrolyzed with human digestive enzymes but are hydrolyzed in the lowerdigestive tracts by intestinal microorganisms and the hydrolysisproducts, organic acids, activate peristalsis of digestive tractsthereby accelerating defecation. Therefore, they are effective incolonic constipation. Polydextrose, pullulan, gum arabic tamarind gum,pectin, guar gum, glucomannan and the like are dietary fibers of suchtype.

In addition, the readily water-soluble dietary fibers have serumcholesterol-lowering activity and postmeal blood sugar increaseinhibitory activity.

Decomposition rate (utilization rate) of readily water-soluble dietaryfibers by intestinal microorganisms is 100% for pectin, glucomannan orthe like and approximately 50% for polydextrose. In the latter case, therest is excreted into stools.

There exist large individual variations in the constitution ofintestinal microbial flora. It is also variable depending upon age ofthe subject and contents of the meal. Therefore, capacity of themicrobial flora to decompose one and the same readily water solubledietary fibers is different person by person.

In this respect, incorporation of readily water-soluble dietary fibersin combination with plural kinds of fibers which are different in originand structure would permit better improvement in bowel movement.

Some of the readily water-soluble dietary fibers are highly viscous sothat they are liable to be gelled in the mouth and be attached to teeththereby giving very poor texture. Such a problem would be solved whendietary fibers of low viscosity and dietary fibers of high viscosity arecombined.

Dietary fibers of low viscosity, as referred to herein, are the dietaryfibers having a viscosity below 5 cP in a concentration of 1% at 37° C.,which include, for example, polydextrose (2 cP or lower) pullulan (1-2cP) and gum arabic (1-2 cP).

Dietary fibers of high viscosity mean dietary fibers having a viscosityof 5 cP or higher in a concentration of 1% at 37° C. As examples of themare mentioned guar gum (>2000 cP), pectin (9 cP), sodium alginate (153cP), carrageenan (>50 cP), glucomannan ( >2000 cP), Locust bean gum(>2000 cP), tamarind gum (30 cP) and gum tragacanth (127 cP).

Dietary fiber compositions of good texture can be prepared by combiningone or more kinds of the low-viscosity dietary fibers and one or morekinds of the high-viscosity dietary fibers.

When polydextrose of good texture and easily decomposable water-solubledietary fibers of poor texture but decomposable by any person are mixed,there can be produced food products of good texture from which organicacids are formed in any person. Mixture of the two of which 1/2-182 ispolydextrose and the rest is easily decomposable water-soluble dietaryfibers are preferable. Especially preferable are mixtures of whichapproximately 2/3 is the former and approximately 1/3 is the latter. Asthe easily decomposable water-soluble dietary fibers is preferablepullulan, gum arabic, pectin or a mixture of two or more of them.

Ratio of the hardly water-soluble dietary fibers to the readilywater-soluble dietary fibers may be variable depending upon the type ofconstipation and is generally 2-30 parts by weight of readilywater-soluble dietary fibers per part by weight of hardly water-solubledietary fibers. If readily water-soluble dietary fibers are contained ata ratio of less than 2 parts by weight per part by weight of hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers, increase in the amount of the microbialbodies and formation of the organic acids will be so poor such that noperistalsis-accelerating effects will be produced. If they are at aratio of more than 30 parts by weight, increase in the amount of stoolswill not sufficiently be attained by combination of the increased amountof the microbial bodies and amount of the hardly water-soluble dietaryfibers. When ratio of the hardly water-soluble dietary fibers to thereadily water-soluble dietary fibers is within the above-defined range,the combination is effective in any type of constipation, colonic,proctosenous or mixed.

Such ratio corresponds to 2-45% by weight of readily water solubledietary fibers and 1-40% by weight of hardly water-soluble dietaryfibers based on the whole composition.

The food products of the invention may contain, as components other thanthe above-described dietary fibers, saccharides such as, for example,starch, dextrin and sucrose; proteins such as casein, soybean proteinand egg white; minerals such as calcium carbonate and iron lactate;vitamins such as vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₁₂ and C; rice, barley, wheat,soybean, corn, various vegetables, meats, dietary oils, seasonings,appropriately alone or in combination.

The food products are desirably formed into flakes, stew, rice gruel orwafers, although they may be in solution. The solution type products maybe prepared in the form of dried pre-cooked food so as to be ready toeat only by adding of 2-3 parts by volume of boiling water to one partby volume of the product, stirring and subsequent standing for a fewminutes.

The bowel movement-improving food products in flake form are prepared byadding to 50-80 parts of steam cooked cereal grains 5-25 parts of hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers (containing 20% by weight or more ofhemicellulose), 5-25 parts of readily water-soluble dietary fibers and,if desired, other dietary components and subjecting the mixture tocompression crushing treatment. The cereal grains may be compressionbrushed and dried after addition of the above-mentioned dietary fiberand other components, or the dietary fibers may be attached to thecereal grains which have in advance been compression crushed.

As the other dietary components may be used saccharides such as, forexample, starch, dextrin and sucrose, proteins such as casein, soybeanprotein and egg white, minerals such as calcium carbonate and ironlactate, vitamins such as vitamins A, B₁, B₂, B₁₂ and C and the like.

The bowel movement-improving food products in stew form are preparedfirst in granule by granulating readily water-soluble dietary fibers,hardly water-soluble dietary fibers, proteins, dietary oils in powderform, wheat, sodium bicarbonate, seasonings and "the dried ingredients"by means of a granulator.

As the protein are used casein, soybean protein, egg white and the like.Depending upon the nature of seasonings the granules can be formed intocream, "beef type" corn cream, stew or the like.

As "the dried ingredient" can be employed dried beef pieces, driedvegetable pieces or the like depending upon user's taste.

The granular product thus produced is readily formed into stew byadding, before eating, 2-3 volumes of hot water, stirring and 3 minutesstanding.

The bowel movement-improving food products in rice gruel form areprepared in granule by mixing and granulating cereals such as rice,polished or unpolished, spray coated with an aqueous solution of readilywater-soluble dietary fibers, and proteins such as casein, soybeanprotein and egg white, dietary oils in powder form, readilywater-soluble dietary fibers, hardly water-soluble dietary fibers andseasonings by means of a granulator.

Depending upon the nature of seasonings, the granules can be formed intorisotto, Japanese style rice gruel, rice and tea type, kasha or thelike.

The granular product thus produced is readily formed into rice gruel byadding, before eating, 2-3 parts by volume of hot water at 100° C. toore part by volume of the product, stirring the mixture and waiting for3 minutes.

The bowel movement-improving food products in wafer form are preparedfrom the wafer sheets produced by blending and baking a mixture of 40-60parts of wheat flour, 3-15 parts of hardly water-soluble dietary fibers,3-15 parts of readily water-soluble dietary fibers and other foodcomponents in 100 parts of water by a conventional method and the creamproduced by adding to 35-50 parts of oil or fat, 3-10 parts of hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers and 10-40 parts of readily water-solubledietary fibers and other food components to 100 parts in total. Thecream (150-400 parts) is sandwiched in plural wafer sheets (100 parts)by a conventional method.

As in the above-described forms of the food product, a variety ofdietary components may be added, for example, proteins such as casein,soybean protein and egg white, minerals and vitamins.

In cases where flakes or wafers are prepared, the ingestion can readilybe made as a snack. In stew or rice gruel form, the ingestion inordinary meal can be made alone or in combination with other foods.

It is noted that though the bowel movement-improving food products ofthe invention have been described with reference to the forms of flake,wafer, rice gruel and stew, they can be in any food form in addition tothe above forms.

When a food product of the invention is taken in an amount of 50 g permeal, approximately 5-25 g of dietary fibers can be ingested. The amountof dietary fibers received by ordinary meal is in the range of 10 to 20g per day with an average of 15.8 g per day and the amount of dietaryfibers recommended for ingestion in constipation patients is 30 g/day.Thus, intake of a food product of the invention in an amount of 50 g permeal once a day will be sufficient to prevent or cure constipation.

Intake of the food products of the invention can improve all types ofconstipation by activating intestinal microorganisms, satisfactorilyforming organic acids and increasing the amount of microbial bodieswhile leaving undigestible dietary fibers present in a sufficientamount.

Furthermore, as the food products of the invention containhemicellulose, which inhibits absorption of cholesterol from ingestedfood into the body, they are also effective in the prevention ofobesity.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference toexamples.

EXAMPLE 1

To 66 parts of rye which had in advance been steam cooked, washed withwater, dehydrated, mealed and roughly compression crushed by rollers wasadded 70% aqueous solution of polydextrose (18 parts on solid basis)followed by addition of 6.9 parts of pectin, 3.4 parts of corn fibersand 6 parts of sodium casein. Then, the mixture was dried andsimultaneously homogenized in a multi-stage continuous drier to a watercontent of about 20%. The dried homogenate was heated to approximately85° C. and subsequently formed by compression crushing rollers intoflakes. The flakes were further baked in an oven to remove moisture.

The rye flakes thus obtained contained 25 parts (18 parts+6.9 parts) ofreadily water-soluble dietary fibers and 3.9 parts (66×0.015+3.4×0.85)of hardly water-soluble dietary fibers. As decomposition rate byintestinal microorganisms is 50% for polydextrose and 100% for pectine,dietary fibers utilizable by intestinal microorganisms were 15.9 parts(18×0.5+6.9 parts), which corresponded to 55% of the entire amount ofdietary fibers.

EXAMPLE 2

To 56 parts of corn grains which had in advance been steam cooked,washed with water, dehydrated, mealed and roughly compression crushed byrollers was added 70% aqueous solution of polydextrose (17 parts onsolid basis) followed by addition of each 3 parts of guar gum and cornfibers and 18 parts of seasonings. Then, the mixture was dried andsimultaneously homogenized in a multi-stage continuous drier to a watercontent of about 15%. The dried homogenate was heated to approximately85° C. and subsequently formed by compression crushing rollers intoflakes. The flakes were further baked in an oven to remove moisture.

The flakes thus obtained contained 30 g of dietary fibers per 100 g, ofwhich 22 g was readily water-soluble dietary fibers and 8 g was hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers. As decomposition rate by intestinalmicroorganisms in 50% for polydextrose and 100% for guar gum, dietaryfibers utilizable by intestinal microorganisms were 14 g.

EXAMPLE 3

Rice gruel:

50 parts of pregelatinized rice was coated with 80 parts of polydextroseof neutral pH liquid type (polydextrose content of 35%) by means of agranulator. The pregelatinized rice was 78 parts by weight.

Separately, granules were prepared in a granulator from a mixture of 1.1parts of pectin (pectin content of 90%), 1.2 parts of corn fibers (cornfiber contents of 85%), 4.6 parts of casein (casein content of 85%), 9parts of powdery oil and 4.2 parts of seasonings.

The above-prepared coated rice, the above-prepared granules and 2 partsof "the dried ingredients" were mixed to prepare a pre-cooked rice gruelproduct.

The pre-cooked rice gruel product contained 30 g of dietary fibers per100 g, of which 29 g was readily water-soluble dietary fibers and 1 gwas hardly water-soluble dietary fibers.

As decomposition rate by intestinal microorganisms is 50% forpolydextrose and 100% for pectin, dietary fibers utilizable byintestinal microorganisms were 15 g.

The rice gruel product thus prepared is stirred with three volumes ofboiling water and then allowed to stand for approximately 3 minutes withcover to obtain rice gruel. The rice gruel can be risotto,Japanese-style rice gruel, rice and tea, kasha or the like dependingupon the nature of seasonings.

EXAMPLE 4

Stew:

Granules were prepared from 28.45 parts of a milled mixture of 26 partsof polydextrose, 2.35 parts of corn fibers (corn fiber content of 85%),2.2 parts of pectin (pectin content of 90%), 26 parts of powdery oil(oil content of 70%), 5 parts of casein (casein content of 85%), 13parts of pregelatinized wheat and 15.45 parts of seasonings and 2 partsof sodium bicarbonate by means of a granulator. To the granules wereadded 8 parts of dried ingredients to prepare a stew product.

The product thus obtained is stirred with 2 volumes of boiling water togive a stew. The stew can be cream stew, beef stew, corn cream stew orthe like depending upon the nature of seasonings.

It is noted that the above prepared product contained 30 g of dietaryfibers per 100 g, of which 28 g was readily water soluble dietary fibersand 2 g was hardly water-soluble dietary fibers.

As decomposition rate by intestinal microorganisms is 50% forpolydextrose and 100% for pectin, dietary fibers utilizable byintestinal microorganisms was 15 g.

EXAMPLE 5

Wafer:

A mixture of 65 parts of soft flour of wheat, 18 parts of corn fibersand 17 parts of sodium casein in 160 parts of water was kneaded and thenbaked in an iron closed vessel at 200°-300° C. to prepare wafer sheets.Separately, 12 parts of powdery sugar, 15 parts of guar gum and 30 partsof polydextrose were successively added to 43 parts of shorteningfollowed by kneading to cream. The cream was applied to the wafersheets. Wafer cake was prepared by sandwiching two layers of the creamin three sheets of the wafer sheet. A hundred grams of the wafer productthus prepared was composed of 50 g of the sheet portion and 50 g of thecream portion and contained 29 g of dietary fibers in total, of which 21g was readily water-soluble dietary fibers and 8 g was hardlywater-soluble dietary fibers.

As decomposition rate by intestinal microorganisms is 100% for guar gumand 50% for polydextrose, dietary fibers utilizable by intestinalmicroorganisms were 14 g.

TEST EXAMPLE 1

In order to demonstrate the advantageous effect of the bowelmovement-improving food products of the invention prepared in theexamples, 10 persons (including 5 constipated patients) were given theflaked product prepared according to Example 1 (50 g/day) for 2 weeks.As a result, all of the persons had softer stools and felt easierdefecation as compared with those before test. Frequency of defecationincreased in 6 of the 10.

TEST EXAMPLE 2

Seven person suffering from chronic constipation received a flaked foodproduct incorporating hardly water-soluble dietary fibers only (25 partsof corn fibers) for 10 days (50 g/day) ("Period 1"), then were deprivedof receiving the flaked food product for a week ("Period 2") andsubsequently received the flaked food product prepared according toExample 1 for 10 days ("Period 3").

No improvement in bowel movement was observed in 3 of the 7 in "Period1", but bowel movement was improved in 2 of the 3 in "Period 3".

It was demonstrated by Test Examples 1 and 2 that the food product ofthe invention comprising a combination of hardly water-soluble dietaryfibers (containing 20% by weight or more of hemicellulose) and readilywater-soluble dietary fibers are effective for improvement of the bowelmovement.

Industrial Applicability

The food products of the invention are useful as a bowelmovement-improving food and are of use in medical industry and foodindustry.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bowel movement-improving food productcontaining 10-50% by weight of dietary fibers based upon the wholeproduct, wherein said dietary fibers comprise 2-30 parts by weight of amixture of polydextrose and pectin per part by weight of corn fibers,and wherein said mixture is comprised of 1/2 to 3/4 polydextrose and 1/2to 1/4 pectin.
 2. A bowel movement-improving food product according toclaim 1 wherein the product is in flake form.
 3. A bowelmovement-improving food product according to claim 1 wherein the productis in stew form.
 4. A bowel movement-improving food product according toclaim 1 wherein the product is in rice gruel form.
 5. A bowelmovement-improving food product according to claim 1 wherein the productis in wafer form.
 6. A method for improving bowel movement whichcomprises administering to a patient the bowel movement-improving foodproduct according to claim 1 at a daily dose of 5-25 g in adults interms of the total amount of dietary fibers.